Tag: visual china group

Germany and China on Friday signed agreements to strengthen coordination in banking, finance and capital markets, and pledged to further open market access and deepen their pragmatic cooperation to broaden economic ties. They agreed to work to improve international economic governance, maintain the global multilateral system, combat trade protectionism and support the rule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization. A level playing field in terms of market access for ban

Germany and China on Friday signed agreements to strengthen coordination in banking, finance and capital markets, and pledged to further open market access and deepen their pragmatic cooperation to broaden economic ties.

The agreements were made at the close of a two-day visit by German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz to Beijing for talks with Vice Premier Liu He, who is President Xi Jinping’s top economic adviser.

Both sides reaffirm that “they will strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination and pragmatic cooperation in the fiscal and financial fields and expand strategic cooperation,” according to a joint statement issued at the end of their talks.

Trade between the two nations has softened amid uncertainty caused by the U.S. tariff dispute with China, but both have shown willingness to demonstrate that the world remains multilateral.

They agreed to work to improve international economic governance, maintain the global multilateral system, combat trade protectionism and support the rule-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization.

“It is important that, contrary to recent trends that we can observe elsewhere, we are seeing progress in our cooperation,” Scholz told reporters before the talks at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in the Chinese capital.

A level playing field in terms of market access for banks and insurers is important, added Scholz.

Berlin has stressed its “close and advantageous” trade ties with China, whose rise has displaced Germany from its ranking as the world’s third-biggest economy to the fourth.

At the same time, it increasingly seeks to better protect and strengthen sensitive German and European business sectors from China’s state-backed acquisitions overseas in strategic industries.

“If you work closely together, you learn to appreciate similarities, but also to know differences,” Scholz said.

“And we have a lot of common interests in financial matters, and then we need to bring different perspectives together. I believe that is the very important task of this financial dialogue,” he added.

Both sides agreed that German-Chinese cooperation benefited their economies, and they are committed to ensuring a non-discriminating, open market access environment, and to easing existing market access and investment barriers in both countries.

China’s finance ministry said on Tuesday that it will step up fiscal expenditure this year and implement larger tax and fee cuts. At the same time, the government said it will reduce its general expenditures by more than 5 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement provided before a news conference. The statement didn’t specify areas where expenditure would be reduced. Monetary policy will be made more forward-looking, flexible and targeted, said the bank. China will strengthen monitoring

China’s finance ministry said on Tuesday that it will step up fiscal expenditure this year and implement larger tax and fee cuts.

At the same time, the government said it will reduce its general expenditures by more than 5 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement provided before a news conference.

The statement didn’t specify areas where expenditure would be reduced.

The central bank, in a separate statement on Tuesday, said it will maintain prudent monetary policy, keeping it neither too tight nor too loose, and strengthen the counter-cyclical adjustments.

Monetary policy will be made more forward-looking, flexible and targeted, said the bank.

It comes as the country’s state planner said on Tuesday it will aim to achieve “a good start” in the first quarter for the economy, signalling more supportive measures to come as the world’s second-biggest economy slows further.

China will strengthen monitoring of its economic situation and improve its “reserve” of economic policies, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

Premier Li Keqiang said China had achieved its key economic targets last year, which were “hard-worn,” and will seek a strong start to the economy in the first quarter to establish conditions helpful to achieving this year’s goals, according to state television on Monday.

Sources told Reuters last week that Beijing was planning to lower its growth target to 6-6.5 percent this year after an expected 6.6 percent in 2018, the slowest pace in 28 years.

The U.S. Navy’s top officer will visit China starting Sunday amid increasing frictions in the South China Sea and other tensions underscoring their rivalry for dominance in Asia. The goal of the visit, Richardson’s second as head of operations, is to “continue a results-oriented, risk reduction focused dialogue” between the two militaries, the Navy said. In recent years, the South China Sea has become the main area of contention, home to islands, rich fishing grounds, undersea mineral deposits a

The U.S. Navy’s top officer will visit China starting Sunday amid increasing frictions in the South China Sea and other tensions underscoring their rivalry for dominance in Asia.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson will meet with his counterpart Vice Adm. Shen Jinlong and leaders of China’s Central Military Commission during his visit to Beijing and the eastern city of Nanjing lasting through Wednesday, the Navy said.

The goal of the visit, Richardson’s second as head of operations, is to “continue a results-oriented, risk reduction focused dialogue” between the two militaries, the Navy said.

“A routine exchange of views is essential, especially in times of friction, in order to reduce risk and avoid miscalculation,” the release quoted Richardson as saying. “Honest and frank dialogue can improve the relationship in constructive ways, help explore areas where we share common interests, and reduce risk while we work through our differences.”

Richardson and Shen met previously at the 2018 International Seapower Symposium in the U.S. and have held three discussions via video teleconference, the most recent in December, the release said.

China has long chafed at the robust U.S. naval presence in its region, seeing that as a key component of a strategy to contain its development.

In recent years, the South China Sea has become the main area of contention, home to islands, rich fishing grounds, undersea mineral deposits and shipping lanes through which pass an estimated $5 trillion in goods annually. China claims virtually the entire waterway on historical grounds and has strengthened its hold through the fortification of its island holdings and the construction and man-made outposts by piling sand and concrete atop coral reefs.

Five other governments also exercise overlapping claims in the area and while the U.S. takes no formal position on sovereignty, it insists on the right to navigation and overflight, including in air and waters within the territorial limits surrounding China’s holdings.

Such freedom of navigation operations intended to assert such rights have enraged China, which has vowed to take whatever measures to thwart them.

While those usually involve the dispatch of ships and aircraft to warn off U.S. vessels, in late September, a Chinese destroyer came perilously close to the USS Decatur in the South China Sea in what the U.S. Navy called an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver.” Navy officers downplayed the incident, calling it unfortunate, rare and something they’d like to avoid in future.

Richardson has said such patrols highlight the U.S. position against “illegitimate maritime claims.”

Apple’s latest iPhone models are facing huge discounts in China as retailers try to sell the struggling devices. That comes as the top-of-the-line Apple smartphones have posted poor China sales on what experts say are too-high prices for the world’s largest smartphone market and a lack of innovative features compared to local competitors like Huawei. Other third-party sellers on the site had the devices for even cheaper, offering flash sales to try to unload iPhones. Sunion, an Apple re-seller,

That comes as the top-of-the-line Apple smartphones have posted poor China sales on what experts say are too-high prices for the world’s largest smartphone market and a lack of innovative features compared to local competitors like Huawei. The technology giant itself acknowledged earlier this month that unexpectedly low sales in the Chinese market would likely lead to worse-than-anticipated first quarter revenues.

One of the most recent iPhone cost cuts in the country came from Suning, a large Chinese retailer, which changed the price of the 128GB version of the iPhone XR from 6,999 yuan ($1,036) to 5,799 yuan ($858) — a 1,200 yuan ($178) discount.

Other third-party sellers on the site had the devices for even cheaper, offering flash sales to try to unload iPhones. One seller had a 256GB version of the iPhone XS Max, Apple’s most premium device, for 9,699 yuan ($1,436), way below the U.S. firm’s official selling price of 10,999 yuan ($1,628) for that smartphone.

Still, that remains more expensive than in the U.S., where the same phone would sell for $1,249, according to the Apple website.

And that’s just on one site. Other retailers in China are also putting their iPhones on sale. Sunion, an Apple re-seller, was advertising 700 yuan off for both the 128GB and 256GB versions of the iPhone XR. E-commerce site Pinduoduo, which allows third-parties to sell products, also had hefty discounts across all of the latest iPhone models.

Apple’s issues in China are down to two major factors, experts and local consumers say: It got its pricing wrong, and it has failed to introduce features to excite consumers in a forward-thinking technology market. Now, analysts said, competitors have taken market share in the premium smartphone space.

Apple plans to unveil three new iPhone models later this year, including a successor to the XR, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The tech giant’s new phones will include new camera features, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The higher-end model will be fitted with a triple rear camera, while the lower-end models will be fitted with a double rear camera, the report said. One will feature a liquid-crystal display (LCD), the display that Apple’s lower-end iPhone

Apple plans to unveil three new iPhone models later this year, including a successor to the XR, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The tech giant’s new phones will include new camera features, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the situation. The higher-end model will be fitted with a triple rear camera, while the lower-end models will be fitted with a double rear camera, the report said.

One will feature a liquid-crystal display (LCD), the display that Apple’s lower-end iPhone XR model currently comes with. The XR has reportedly struggled to win over Chinese consumers. The firm recently lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter, alarming investors, and cited lower-than-expected iPhone revenue “primarily in Greater China” as one of the main reasons behind its warning.

According to the WSJ, Apple is considering sticking with phones that contain organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays from 2020, and dropping LCD displays altogether. OLED screens make images appear brighter and sharper than LCD panels.

Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Apple shares were 0.1 percent higher in premarket trade Friday.

Google and Amazon are going to make a big splash at the CES 2019. They’ve had a big rivalry, and not just because they compete in businesses like cloud services and ads. Amazon and Google also sell rival smart speaker systems, including the Echo and Google Home, and rival streaming TV products, such as the Fire TV and Chromecast. In September, Amazon revealed new developer tools that allow its partners to include the Amazon Alexa voice assistant in pretty much anything they can dream up, includi

They’ve had a big rivalry, and not just because they compete in businesses like cloud services and ads. Amazon and Google also sell rival smart speaker systems, including the Echo and Google Home, and rival streaming TV products, such as the Fire TV and Chromecast. Both companies are fighting to be the “operating system” of our homes, and it has played out publicly. There was a time, for example, when Amazon didn’t sell the Google Chromecast and when Google blocked YouTube on the Fire TV and Echo.

And, according to data from Canalys in November, smart speakers from both companies are nearly tied for market share. The Amazon Echo had a 31.9 percent market share in Q3 2018, while Google was just a hair behind with 29.8 percent. At CES, we’ll see how both companies are working to expand through partnerships.

In September, Amazon revealed new developer tools that allow its partners to include the Amazon Alexa voice assistant in pretty much anything they can dream up, including microwaves. Amazon has already confirmed it will use CES to show its vision for “Alexa Everywhere,” which means there are going to be a lot of new products from its partners. If it runs on electricity, there’s a good chance someone will try to stuff Alexa inside.

Google, which has a similar strategy with its Alexa competitor called Google Assistant, will also have a big presence. Google had a large, three-story experience center last year and, this year, says it will triple the size of its booth, which is smack in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Like Amazon, I think Google’s partners will reveal new products that run on Google Assistant. I’m not sure what else the company has in store, but it’s expanding its presence for a reason.

Don’t just expect to see these assistants in regular items like smart speakers. I think we’ll see them deployed in all manner of gadgets, from home appliances to televisions. But I also think they’ll pop up in strange places where voice assistants don’t even make sense. In other words — and I’m only half joking here — I would not be surprised to see someone launch a smart toothbrush with Amazon Alexa just for the heck of it.

The crater is a relatively flat spot on the moon’s far side. “China’s Chang’e-4 probe softlands on Moon’s far side,” the state news agency tweeted on Thursday. The far side of the moon has been seen and mapped before, even by astronauts of the Apollo missions. But the successful landing of Chang’e 4 represents the first time any spacecraft has touched down on the moon’s far side. This mission comes about two years after China’s successful Chang’e 3 mission, the first soft landing on the moon sin

China successfully landed the Chang’e 4 spacecraft on the far side of the moon on Thursday morning, Beijing time, according to state news agency Xinhua, becoming the first in history to touch the lunar surface unseen by those on Earth.

The Chang’e 4 mission launched in early December. It took the spacecraft three days to travel to the moon, where it spent the last few weeks in orbit preparing for touch down on the Von Karman crater. The crater is a relatively flat spot on the moon’s far side.

Citing the China National Space Administration, Xinhua said the space probe, made up of a lander and a rover, “landed at the preselected landing area on the far side of the moon at 10:26 a.m. Beijing Time.”

Landing on the far side is a technical challenge, as there is no direct way to communicate with the spacecraft as it nears its target. China put a relay satellite in orbit around the moon in May to overcome that communication challenge.

The far side of the moon has been seen and mapped before, even by astronauts of the Apollo missions. But the successful landing of Chang’e 4 represents the first time any spacecraft has touched down on the moon’s far side.

Chang’e 4 represents one of the flagship parts of China’s heavy investment and growing capabilities in space through the China National Space Administration. This mission comes about two years after China’s successful Chang’e 3 mission, the first soft landing on the moon since 1976. Similar in design to that Chang’e 3 craft and its “Jade Rabbit” rover, the Chang’e 4 lander and rover carries a bigger payload and more capabilities. The space agency will use the craft to study geological conditions on the far side of the moon.

The Chang’e name comes from the Chinese goddess of the moon. In the ancient tale, Chang’e flew to the heavens after taking an elixir, and landed on the moon as her final resting place.

— Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify the folk tale of Chang’e.

The probe, the Chang’e-4, entered a planned orbit on Sunday “to prepare for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon,” the news agency said, citing the China National Space Administration. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon, but none has landed on it. China launched the Chang’e-4 probe earlier this month, carried by a Long March-3B rocket. China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. The space control center wi

A Chinese space probe is moving into position to land on the dark side of the moon for the first time, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, a mission seen as an important step as the country looks to push forward its space program.

The probe, the Chang’e-4, entered a planned orbit on Sunday “to prepare for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon,” the news agency said, citing the China National Space Administration. It didn’t say when the landing would occur.

The moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side — or the “dark side” — is never visible from Earth. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon, but none has landed on it.

China launched the Chang’e-4 probe earlier this month, carried by a Long March-3B rocket. It includes a lander and a rover to explore the surface of the moon.

Xinhua said that the probe had entered an elliptical lunar orbit at 08.55 Beijing time, which brought it at its closest point just 15 kilometres away from the surface of the moon. The Chang’e-4 first entered a lunar orbit on Dec. 12.

The tasks of the Chang’e-4 include astronomical observation, surveying the moon’s terrain, landform and mineral composition, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon.

China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year.

However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis.

The space control center will select a “proper time” to land the probe on the far side of the moon, Xinhua reported. Its descent is being aided by a relay satellite, the Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge.

Apple’s latest iPhone models are attracting more Android users to the brand than in previous years, a new report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners found. The report found that 16 percent of iPhone buyers upgraded from an Android phone in the 30-day period after the launch of the iPhone XR. “It appears that iPhone XR did serve to attract current Android users,” Mike Levin, CIRP co-founder and partner, said in a statement in a press release. But, based on the pricing and features, we can

Apple’s latest iPhone models are attracting more Android users to the brand than in previous years, a new report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners found. Signs have pointed to relatively weak demand overall for the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, like lowered guidance by some of Apple’s key suppliers and the company’s announcement that it will no longer disclose unit sales for the iPhone.

The report found that 16 percent of iPhone buyers upgraded from an Android phone in the 30-day period after the launch of the iPhone XR. After the iPhone 8 and 8s were released in September 2017, 12 percent of iPhone buyers upgraded from an Android phone, and when the iPhone X was released in November 2017, that number was 11 percent.

“It appears that iPhone XR did serve to attract current Android users,” Mike Levin, CIRP co-founder and partner, said in a statement in a press release. “Of course, Apple doesn’t just state plainly its launch strategy. But, based on the pricing and features, we can infer that Apple positioned the iPhone XR to appeal to potential operating systems switchers from Android.”

CIRP’s report found that nearly a third of iPhone buyers in the U.S. flocked to its cheapest new model, the XR, which starts at $749. In the 30 days after its launch in October 2018, CIRP found that XR sales made up 32 percent of total iPhone sales in the U.S. During the same 30-day period after the XR release, sales for the the iPhone XS and XS Max accounted for 35 percent of U.S. iPhone sales combined.

In an interview with CNET last month, Apple’s vice president of product marketing, Greg Joswiak, said the iPhone XR had “been our most popular iPhone each and every day since the day it became available.”

This share of XR sales tracks with that of previous models in their first month on the market, CIRP said, acknowledging that it can’t make an exact comparison since this year Apple launched its more cheaper model second, diverting from previous launch strategies.

Of the 15 leading companies named in this year’s list, the majority were multinationals — including the top five. Just three companies on the list originate from India. To be sure, big name companies have a certain allure for aspiring techies the world over. “Apart from competitive remuneration, companies that work to make their employees feel like they work with, and not for the company, create a culture of ownership and instill a sense of loyalty in their employees,” he added. CNBC Make It too

Of the 15 leading companies named in this year’s list, the majority were multinationals — including the top five. Just three companies on the list originate from India. Some of the international companies that made it into the list include names like Microsoft, SAP and Apple.

To be sure, big name companies have a certain allure for aspiring techies the world over. However, Sashi Kumar, managing director of Indeed India, said in a news release that the findings also indicate a desire among employees to work for a business with clear progression structures in place and a positive overall workplace environment.

“In addition to strategic and meaningful workplace programs, companies that have focused on people management and contributed to creating a conducive environment for their employees have been highly rated by job seekers,” said Kumar.

“Apart from competitive remuneration, companies that work to make their employees feel like they work with, and not for the company, create a culture of ownership and instill a sense of loyalty in their employees,” he added.

CNBC Make It took a look at the top 15 tech companies in India and how they made the list.